Squash4Schools

Aim: Our aim is to get children in primary and secondary schools active by introducing them to squash as a new sport.

Who are we?

We are a tennis and squash club located in North London, passionate about improving young people's access to sports. We have seven squash courts and an extensive junior and adult coaching programme. We have launched the Squash4Schools programme in partnership with the Accelerate Squash Academy and the Oakleigh Park Tennis & Squash Club.

Why are we crowdfunding?

According to Sport England, 52.3% of children and young people have less than an average of 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Squash is recognised as one of the healthiest sports and a sport that can be played in England year-round (as it is indoors). 

We created the Squash4Schools programme to get children in primary and secondary schools active by introducing them to a new sport. The programme includes delivering squash for PE at the school (using portable walls) or squash club, delivering squash for after school clubs or for GCSE. Squash coaches also train teachers on how to deliver squash lessons and support secondary school students who would like to obtain coaching qualifications. 

Schools are keen to take part, but lack of funding for sports often acts as a barrier. Our aim is to raise £5230 to purchase squash equipment, cover coaching and transport fees and provide subsidised lessons for children who cannot afford them in five London boroughs. 

How we’ll spend the money raised

• Equipment: We need new rackets, balls and rebound walls to reach more schools. 
• We need to train new coaches to ensure we are able to cope with the increased demand and ensure sustainability. Each Level 1 coaching course costs £150. 
• We need to help schools cover coaching fees as many struggle to find funding for sports. 
• We would like to get new t-shirts for the coaches delivering the sessions at the schools. 
• We would like to help schools reach squash clubs by contributing to transport costs. 
• We want to create additional subsidised sessions for children who cannot afford the fees of group coaching, making squash accessible to all!

Community impact

We are currently working with 12 schools across three boroughs but some of these will not be able to afford coaching fees in the long-term. Furthermore, we would like to scale up the programme to include more schools and boroughs. The Squash4Schools programme has the potential to reach more than 1000 children per year, increasing their level of physical activity, improving motor skills and wellbeing and giving young people additional employment opportunities through coaching. 

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th August 2025 at 8:25pm